ISL 2017: Bengaluru FC sign former Atletico de Madrid player Braulio Nóbrega

Bengaluru FC announced the signing of striker Braulio Nóbrega Rodríguez for the 2017 Indian Super League (ISL) on Monday.

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The 31-year-old joins the Southern Eagles fresh from his stint with Cypriot side Doxa Katokopias FC where he netted ten times in fifteen league appearances last season. Born in the Canary Islands, Braulio was a product of Atletico de Madrid's famed cantera system, going on to represent the 'B' and the senior team on occasions early in his career.

After tasting European football with Getafe while on-loan, Braulio made the move to Real Zaragoza in 2008 but hardly got playing time with the Aragonese. However, this will not be his first time in Asia as he was a part of Malaysia's Johor Darul Ta'zim in 2014.

Braulio is Bengaluru FC's fourth Spanish signing this summer after Antonio Dovale, Dimas Delgado and Juanan, who re-signed after last season. "Braulio is an experienced player who fits into our style of play. He’ll provide the muscle up front and hopefully with the support that we have, he can contribute at the business end of the pitch", said head coach Albert Roca hoping that the new signing gels well with Sunil Chhetri up front.

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"I’ve heard all I needed to about the club from the Spanish boys in the side and all I can say is that I’m thrilled to be part of it. I even heard a lot about the club when I was with Johor Darul Ta’zim. I’ve already put in a couple of sessions with the team and I feel very comfortable. It feels like I’ve been training and playing with this bunch for a while now. I will be doing all I can to help the club achieve its goals", the former Spain U-20 international commented after the move himself.

However, at the fag end of his time at Zaragoza, Braulio was embroiled in a sexual assault case to which he pleaded guilty. He paid a fine of €12,600 for two sexual abuse offences, two counts of sexual harassment and one of assault to four women with restraining orders against him for periods of between six months and three years.

Braulio escaped a five year prison sentence but never went on to play in the La Liga post the court battles. He had also signed for Colombian sides Milonarios FC and Patriotas FC in 2014 but was released soon after contractual ambiguities with him dragging the former to court.

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The Blues are already in Spain for a pre-season camp and with Braulio being their sixth foreign signing, it remains to be seen of he makes the four-foreigner cut for their AFC Cup inter-zonal semi-final against DRP Korea's April 25 SC.

The first leg is at home on 23 August with the trip to the 1,14,000 capacity May Day Stadium in Pyongyang on September 13. The JSW-Steel owned club are going to make their ISL debut in its fourth edition which starts from 17 November later this year.